GoToHUB: Enhancing Tourist Experiences at Visit Oslo Center

At the Oslo Central Station lies the vibrant “Visitor Center,” a place where the city’s charm meets cutting-edge technology. Visit Oslo, one of the many partners using the GoToHUB software, has transformed its booking services, allowing travelers to effortlessly explore and enjoy the city’s offerings. From booking scenic fjord cruises to reserving a cozy hotel room in the city center, visitors can plan their adventures all in one place.

The bustling center is staffed with friendly employees, ready to assist tourists in curating the perfect itinerary. However, a new innovation has taken the spotlight this summer: two self-service kiosks that blend seamlessly into the modern concept of the center. Standing tall with 32-inch touchscreen displays, these kiosks resemble the intuitive order screens seen at popular fast-food chains, offering a familiar yet upgraded experience.

The kiosks invite visitors to explore a world of possibilities at their own pace. Whether it’s booking a guided city tour, securing a last-minute hotel, or finding the perfect outdoor adventure, users can easily browse through a colorful, engaging interface that brings Oslo’s attractions to life. Payment is effortless, thanks to an integrated terminal that supports quick, secure transactions.

In line with Visit Oslo’s eco-friendly ethos, these kiosks eliminate the need for printed receipts. Instead, users are prompted to enter their email addresses to receive digital confirmations, ensuring a sustainable and paper-free experience.

GoToHUB’s kiosks provide a seamless blend of convenience, innovation, and sustainability, empowering every traveler to create their own unforgettable Oslo journey, all while contributing to a greener future.

Unlock the Ultimate Oslo Experience with GoToHUB’s Powerful Features!

Experience Oslo like never before with GoToHUB’s state-of-the-art self-service terminals—your personal guide to the city’s best adventures! These intuitive kiosks are packed with user-friendly features that make planning and booking activities or accommodations a breeze. Designed to provide a seamless and enjoyable experience, they empower you to explore the city with ease, convenience, and excitement.

Intuitive Activity and Accommodation Browsing
The homepage is designed to be inviting and easy to navigate. Users are greeted with quick-access categories. Each category opens up to a curated selection of experiences, allowing visitors to quickly find the perfect activity for their day. The inclusion of popular options and recommendations makes it simple for tourists to choose from the best of what Oslo has to offer.

Personalized and Interactive Search Filters
With clear and interactive filters, users can easily refine their options based on their preferences, such as family-friendly, new arrivals, or budget options. This flexibility allows each user to tailor their experience and find activities that match their interests and needs, making the booking process highly personalized.

Detailed Information and Seamless Booking Process
Upon selecting an activity or accommodation, users can view all the essential details—highlights, descriptions, incidentals, and even maps for location reference. This comprehensive information ensures that users feel confident and well-informed before they proceed with their booking. The booking process itself is smooth and straightforward, leading users step-by-step, from selecting dates and times to confirming the number of participants.

Accessibility and Multilingual Support
Accessibility options are readily available at the bottom of the screen, ensuring that all visitors, regardless of physical abilities, can comfortably interact with the kiosk. Furthermore, the ability to select different languages makes it inclusive for international tourists, offering them a stress-free and welcoming experience in their own language.

Cart and Confirmation for Easy Management
A clear and concise cart system allows users to manage their bookings efficiently. They can review, edit, or remove items before proceeding to payment, ensuring flexibility throughout their journey. The confirmation screen provides users with a summary of their order and allows them to receive the information in the most convenient way—either by scanning a QR code or via email.

Streamlined Payment System with Eco-Friendly Receipt Options
The payment interface is designed for convenience and security, supporting multiple methods, including contactless options. An added eco-friendly touch eliminates paper receipts; instead, users receive a QR code or the option to have their confirmation sent directly to their email. This approach not only simplifies the checkout experience but also aligns with a sustainable, modern way of operating.

Case description and workflow

GoToHUB is a software solution that allows various Visit organizations to sell activities and accommodation booking services. One of its clients is Visit Oslo, and they sell these services at their "Visitor Center" located at Oslo Central Station. There are staffed counters where employees assist tourists in purchasing activities and booking accommodation. A new addition this summer are two self-service kiosks with large 32-inches touchscreen displays, similar to those at McDonald's, where customers can independently book their activities and hotels.

The purpose of installing such self-service terminals:
• Increase the number of orders
• Eliminate queues at manual counters with staff

My work on the case included the following steps:

• Research (market & competitive overview, brainstorming, target group analysis, user interviews, user personas, user flow diagram)
• Design (information architecture, sketches, digital prototyping (low- / mid- / high-fidelity, interactive prototype)
• User testing (A/B testing, usability test, 'think aloud', interviews)

My main focus in this project was on improving the user flow. Moreover, the customer requested that the activity section be given priority, which is reflected in my prototype.

Challenges and solutions

1. Adaptation for self-service kiosk

The current booking interface is an adaptive version of the GoTo HUB web interface, which is not optimized for use in self-service kiosks. Tourists need a simple, intuitive user interface tailored to touchscreen formats. 

Solutions:

• Step-by-step flow

Both the overall user flow and the booking and payment process are broken down into clear steps (e.g. select event → select date → confirm details → pay) so users can easily follow the process and know where they are in the process.

• Design for touch, not click

I tried to make interactive elements large and pay attention to sufficient spacing, which facilitates touch input and minimizes the chance of users accidentally clicking on the wrong element. I also implemented scrolling and swiping, which makes the interface more natural and interactive, and facilitates easy and quick navigation.

• Simplicity of the user interface

Information is organized in a clean, visually hierarchical manner so that the user can focus on the most important features and avoid cognitive overload. Services are categorized and information is gradually revealed in layers, showing only what is needed at each stage. This allows the user to easily identify and select what they need.

• High-quality visuals

The interface features large, eye-catching images of activities and hotels to create an engaging and immersive experience, helping travelers visualize and connect with the options presented. Additionally, intuitive icons (e.g., a calendar for selecting a date, a map for a location) are used to guide users through each step without relying on text alone.

2. Language and clear communication

The client base mainly consists of foreign tourists, requiring a user interface that supports multiple languages and allows users to easily switch between languages.

Solutions:

• Optimization for accessibility and multilingual needs

To improve accessibility, I placed the main navigation menu at the bottom of the screen, adding accessibility features (accessibility options for short or wheelchair users, contrast settings, and a voice/screen reader for users with visual or physical impairments) and a language selection button. These buttons are accessible from any page so that tourists can use them when needed without restarting the process.

3. Clear purchasing process and payment confirmation
Users may feel uncertain about how and when the payment is processed, especially when the payment is made through an external card terminal and receipts are not printed on-site.

Solutions:

• Simplicity of payment and receipt collection

The payment screen is simple, with clear visual instructions and large icons for contactless and card payments. The email address input field is large and easy to use. I have also included a handover option in a form of QR code, giving users who do not have access to email, do not want to enter their email address, or have difficulty entering it due to physical limitations, a quick alternative way to receive a payment receipt directly to their smartphone.